3GSM WORLD CONGRESS, CANNES, France, Feb. 14, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- McAfee Inc. (NYSE:MFE), the pioneer and worldwide leader of intrusion prevention solutions, and Bitfone Corporation, the company that pioneered firmware over-the-air (FOTA) update technology for mobile phones, today announced that they are demonstrating a new active threat management system for mobile phones at the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes, France. The demonstration is a result of technology collaboration between Bitfone and McAfee, and will show how mobile operators can detect, recover from and prevent security threats to mobile phone software from viruses, worms, auto-dialers, spyware and other malicious threats.
By expanding its portfolio of over-the-air device management solutions to address mobile security, Bitfone offers mobile operators a comprehensive, customer care-oriented, active threat management solution that incorporates:
-- remote diagnostics to identify suspicious files or programs on
the device
-- ability to invoke virus scanning on a device
-- automated updates to virus definition files on a device
-- bulk distribution of security updates to all vulnerable devices
-- the ability to remotely reset a compromised device using OTA
firmware or filesystem updates
The demonstration with Bitfone furthers McAfee's commitment to develop solutions and products to protect both consumer and enterprise users from potential malicious applications and viral threats brought on by the growth of wireless and mobile communication platforms. This year McAfee expanded its offerings and established itself as the clear market and thought leader in mobile security with the world's first end-to-end solution with security integrated from the handset back through the operator's wireless network and support infrastructure.
"It's only a matter of time until security threats on handsets advance from experimental hacking, like Cabir and Skulls, to serious damages from unauthorized dialing, text messaging, web downloads, corporate data access, and other security breaches that impact subscriber billing and privacy rights," said Gene Wang, CEO of Bitfone Corporation. "Mobile security is a natural extension to our over-the-air device management portfolio, and by collaborating with McAfee we can leverage automated customer care to make threat management seamless for operators as well as the subscribers and enterprises they serve."
"There is no doubt that mobile security will become a real issue with monetary consequences for operators, enterprises and consumers alike," said Victor Kouznetsov, Senior Vice President of Mobile Solutions for McAfee. "We look forward to working with Bitfone so that operators can keep their customers safe from unwanted programs by providing comprehensive security within their network of devices."
To see the new security demonstration or obtain more information on McAfee's Mobile Solutions, please visit the McAfee Cafe at the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes, France, February 14 -- 17, located at Boulevard de la Croisette (opposite the junction with rue des Serbes). For more information on Bitfone's mobile security, device management and customer care solutions, please visit Hall 2, G12.
About McAfee Inc.
McAfee, Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., a worldwide leader in Intrusion Prevention and Risk Management solutions, delivers proven security products and services to help customers effectively balance the competing priorities between business needs and security requirements. McAfee applies profound security expertise toward helping companies, government agencies and consumers block attacks, prevent disruptions, and continuously track and improve the security of their systems and networks. This risk management approach results in absolute confidence. For more information, McAfee, Inc. can be reached at 972-963-8000 or www.mcafee.com.
About Bitfone Corporation
Bitfone Corporation provides unparalleled expertise and innovative software solutions for customer care automation and mobile device management to wireless operators and handset providers. Bitfone's SmartCare, mProve and MVP products improve usability of mobile devices by diagnosing and repairing software problems and delivering software updates and configuration settings over the air. Bitfone's solutions allow customers to analyze, fix and enhance mobile devices, safely and efficiently. Bitfone's customers also benefit from significant cost savings in the areas of customer service and warranty, improved device quality and subscriber satisfaction, and broader adoption of advanced wireless services. Bitfone is a private company headquartered in Laguna Niguel, California, with offices in Canada, China, Japan, Korea, and the U.K. For more information, please visit www.bitfone.com.
NOTE: McAfee is a registered trademark or trademark of McAfee, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and/or other countries. The color red in connection with security is distinctive of McAfee brand products. All other registered and unregistered trademarks in this document are the sole property of their respective owners. (c) 2005 McAfee, Inc. All Rights Reserved.